CAREFUL R.A.F. MEN.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 215, 9 August 1940, Page 7

CAREFUL R.A.F. MEN.

ONLY MILITARY OBJECTIVES. (British Official 'Wireless.) RUGBY, Aug. 7. The scrupulous care which British pilots are expected to exercise to bomb only military objectives was emphasised by a flying-officer of an R. A.l<. heavy bomber when describing in a broadcast a recent raid in which he took part. His objective was a synthetic oil plant in the eastern Rphr area. The plant was difficult to locate, a.nd the landmarks given for its identification were a wood and a motor highway. . . . J , ~ ~ *‘Having arrived m the aroaj said the pilot, “we were groping, as it were, for the actual target for some time. We knew we were near it, hut our instructions were ven r definite that we must identify the target without doubt before bombing, so we dropped parachute flares, but without success. “Then, about a minute or two later while wo were still searching, one of the other fellows from the squadron let off his flares about half a mile away. This other bomber was then ■about 2000 feet above us, and liis flares went off below lis, lighting up a wide area. They enabled my navigator first of all to spot the wood which was one of our chief landmarks; this led us on to the actual target and then began the attack.”